It may be a new year, but there’s nothing new about the concerns surrounding the State Department’s liberal activism. While Americans were busy unwrapping presents, conservatives were tearing into something else: Obama’s record on social issues. After eight years of watching the State Department operate as a global base for abortion and sexual activism, most Republicans are ready to get back to the real business of diplomacy. That’s a tough job under normal circumstances, but after two terms of President Obama, the Trump team will have its hands full.

Lately, there have been some who have suggested that (after almost a decade of proving otherwise) the State Department has nothing to do with abortion and sexual politics. Tell that to our friends around the globe, who’ve spent the last eight years trying to dodge this administration’s biggest export: rainbow flags and abortion dollars. Under President Obama, this radical agenda has completely infiltrated the State Department — usually eclipsing the agency’s other vital functions, like defending religious liberty. Obviously, America has a sincere interest in stopping the unjust persecution or targeting of any human being. But what’s happened for the last eight years is not the simple defense of those who are mistreated — it’s the elevation of people around the world based on sexual behavior.

State’s Culture of Extremism: LGBT Issues

While some people are falling for the line that social issues are “irrelevant” to the work of the State Department, the Trump team isn’t buying it. They’re keenly aware of the culture of extremism at the agency — so much so that they’ve requested a detailed list of the ways the office has tried to promote “gender equality.” Late last month, the New York Times reported on the Trump memo, which asked the department to provide, among other things, details on the positions “‘whose primary functions are to promote such issues’ — as well as how much funding was directed to gender-related programs in 2016.”

The State Department’s report should be an easy one. After all, the White House has graciously done the work for them, boasting in great detail about the “gains” it’s made for the global LGBT community on its website (many courtesy of the agency that supposedly has no dealings in social issues). Here are a few of the highlights (and some the administration conveniently forgot):

Created a “Special Envoy for the Human Rights of LGBT Persons” at the State Department. When announcing the position, Secretary Kerry said: “Defending and promoting the human rights of LGBT persons is at the core of our commitment to advancing human rights globally.”

Funded LGBT advocacy around the world through the State Department through an entity called the Global Equality Fund. “The Department of State continues to grow the Global Equality Fund, a multi-sector public-private partnership to advance the human rights of LGBT persons globally. Since the Fund was launched in December 2011, it has allocated over $30 million to civil society organizations in 80 countries worldwide.”

Used the United Nations to push LGBT issues. “In 2011, we proudly partnered with South Africa to ensure passage of the first-ever U.N. resolution on the human rights of LGBTI persons, adopted by the Council.”

Appointed ambassadors who openly identify as gay or transgender in defiance of other countries’ values and traditions. As John Kerry said in 2014, “I’m working hard to ensure that by the end of my tenure, we will have lesbian, bisexual, and transgender ambassadors in our ranks as well…”

Marked International Human Rights Day with a controversial Geneva speech insisting that “[G]ay rights are human rights, and human rights are gay rights.”

Made transgender issues a key negotiating point with other nations at the expense of diplomatic relations. “We have instructed our human rights and health officers to raise transgender issues in their host countries, and we have encouraged our public affairs officers to include the needs of transgender groups in their programming, so that we are showing that this is something that we’re going to engage in…”

Strong-armed other countries to accept America’s misguided policies on same-sex spouses. “Let me be clear,” Kerry lectured in a defiant speech, “we oppose any effort by any country to deny visas for spouses of American staff. It’s discriminatory, it’s unacceptable, it has no place in the 21st century.”

State’s Culture of Extremism: Abortion

And it’s not just sexual liberalism that’s poisoning the international well. The State Department has loudly promoted overseas abortion policy and been quick to put taxpayer funds and resources behind it — regardless of other countries’ deeply-held beliefs.

Used the access gained at the State Department to lobby for abortion-on-demand at the U.N.’s 4th Conference on Women in China. Clinton told the audience, “It is a violation of human rights when women are denied the right to plan their own families.”

In my own personal interactions with ambassadors, especially when FRC was helping to negotiate for Mariam Ibrahim’s release from a Sudanese prison, they all shared the same concern: that the State Department’s obsession with social issues had come at the expense of religious liberty. If Donald Trump is going to make our First Freedom a priority, as he’s pledged to do, he’ll have to start by rolling back the extremist culture at State. Is that impossible? Not at all. But having the right people around him will make all the difference.

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Roberto Deramo

Mr. Trump,

I will gladly serve my Country and the State Dept. as a Pro Life, CHRISTIAN staff member, in any capacity you may deem my credentials worthy.

Even mopping the floor, or maning the drain valve…in the swamp. Seriously! MAGA!!!!

Joseph

I hope that Trump is not pro-LGBT and erases all of this gaying going on in America.

Mr. M

Indeed – all the “gaying” going on must stop! LOL – seriously though, gay marriage is here to stay. SCOTUS themselves ruled on it. For them to go back on a ruling they made themselves is unheard of and will not happen. Sowwy.

DJR

“For them to go back on a ruling they made themselves is unheard of and will not happen.”
Dred Scott, Plessy v. Ferguson, et al.

Mr. M

Apples and oranges (but you know that). SCOTUS can’t say gays have the right to marry under the 14th amendment and then just say, actually, never mind.

DJR

What you’re saying is that the Supreme Court has never reversed itself, and that’s historically false.

Just google it.

So, yes, it is possible for the Supreme Court to one day “just say, actually, never mind.”

If they have already done such a thing, why would anyone ever think they could never do it again?

Totally irrational.

Gary

Just need a couple of new members who understand the US Constitution, and a case before them.

Gary

If Trump wants to curtail the State Department’s pushing the lgbtq agenda, he picked the wrong guy to be Sec. of State: a man who helped the Boy Scouts accept homosexual scouts and scout leaders.

Patmos

Satan’s seat is in smack dab in the middle of the American progressive heart.

so who does tony think would be a good choice for sec of state if not the current nominee?

C. William Russell

Glad to see some one keeping up with the little steps in the wrong direction. The willingness of people supporting the suppression of population to fund political candidates will keep their causes alive with new faces and kinder language, but the heart of it will be the same.

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